Fallen gay trooper’s partner sues for benefits
The Kansas City Star reports the gay partner of a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper killed in the line of duty is suing for benefits denied him because the men are prohibited from marrying.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed the suit Dec. 2 in Cole County Circuit Court.
Cpl. Dennis Engelhard was hit and killed by a vehicle on Christmas Day 2009 while he was investigating an accident on Interstate 44 in Eureka. Under Missouri law, spouses of employees who are killed on duty are entitled to an annuity of 50 percent of the employee’s average salary.
But Engelhard’s partner, Kelly Glossip, has no legal right to the survivor’s benefit, despite that he was named as beneficiary on other assets.
Million-dollar settlement for Atlanta bar raid
Advocate.com reports the Atlanta City Council passed a resolution Dec. 6 to pay over a $1-million settlement in the dispute over its raid of the Atlanta Eagle gay bar last year.
The council voted 14-0 to make the payment of $1,002,500 in the case of Calhoun v. Pennington. The city will also oversee police department reforms as part of the settlement. A federal judge must now approve the settlement.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of 19 patrons of the Atlanta Eagle, who claimed police violated their federal and state constitutional rights by illegally detaining them in the September 2009 raid. They charged that officers did not present a search warrant for the raid and that officers used antigay slurs during the operation.
Seattle-area council swears in gay member
Yahoo News reports King County, Wash. — home of Seattle — swore in its first openly gay council member Dec. 6 when Joe McDermott took the oath.
“Today confirms King County believes in representative democracy and values diversity,” McDermott said. “I am honored that the voters have placed their trust in me and grateful for the LGBTQ community’s support throughout my career.”
McDermott, a passionate supporter of gay rights in Washington, previously served in the state House and Senate.
— Larry Nichols